Mother 'put brain damaged son out of misery with lethal heroin dose'

A mother killed her brain damaged son with heroin to "end his suffering" while already on bail for his attempted murder, a court heard today.

Frances Inglis allegedly carried out the "carefully planned" murder of her son Thomas Inglis, 22, in a nursing home in November 2008.

Inglis, of Dagenham, tried to end his life in September the previous year by giving him heroin, the Old Bailey heard.

The 57-year-old, who had been training as a nurse and was described as a "pillar of the community", was charged with attempted murder but broke her bail conditions to kill Thomas, the jury was told.

She had allegedly taken part in an online debate "over the ethics of keeping her son alive". The jury heard Inglis wrote on the website: "I gave my son a heroin overdose to end his unimaginable suffering."

Miranda Moore QC, prosecuting, said the murder was planned to the extent that Inglis left out instructions for what was to happen after her arrest, including how to feed the family dog, Max.

Miss Moore said it was a "tragic case" but added: "It is not a defence to murder or to attempted murder that a mother wants to put her son out of his misery, whether that misery is real or, as in this case, merely perceived.

"She thought he was suffering, that is why she did what she did. That is not a defence to murder. You are not entitled to terminate somebody's life in this way."

Inglis denies murder and attempted murder. The trial continues.